Coleus plant named ‘UF12-73-5’

ABSTRACT

‘UF12-73-5’ is a new coleus plant distinguished by having warm yellow-colored leaves with a fine maroon-colored margin, novel growth habit, and desirable late-flowering characteristics, as disclosed herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

This invention was made with government support under FLA-ENH-004865awarded by the Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Service,USDA. The Government has certain rights in this invention.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Plectranthusscutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: ‘UF12-73-5’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of coleus plantnamed ‘UF12-73-5’. ‘UF12-73-5’ originated from an open pollinationconducted in May-November 2011 in Gainesville, Fla. between the femalecoleus plant ‘UF11-60-7’ (unpatented) and an unknown male coleus plant.A single seedling was chosen in May 2012 for further asexual propagationin Gainesville, Fla. (see FIG. 1 for pedigree).

‘UF12-73-5’ was first reproduced asexually by vegetative cuttings inGainesville, Fla. and has been reproduced asexually for over two yearsthrough vegetative cuttings. ‘UF12-73-5’ has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

‘UF12-73-5’ has not been made publicly available more than one yearprior to the filing date of this application.

When ‘UF12-73-5’ is compared to the female parent ‘UF11-60-7’(unpatented), ‘UF12-73-5’ and ‘UF11-60-7’ have a similar lance-leaffoliage shape, but the color of ‘UF11-60-7’ foliage is dark red with achartreuse outer edge. ‘UF12-73-5’ is a more vigorous plant with largerleaves and a growth habit that is more spreading than ‘UF11-60-7’.

When ‘UF12-73-5’ is compared to the commercial cultivar ‘Marquee™ BlondeBombshell’ (‘UF8-5-10’, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/120,605,filed Jun. 6, 2014), plants of ‘Marquee™ Blonde Bombshell’ have yellowlance-leaf foliage with a mottled green color and a purple mid-vein, anda much more upright growth habit (taller than wide), whereas ‘UF12-73-5’plants have a pure warm yellow foliage color with a distinct maroonmargin and a more spreading growth habit (wider than tall).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of ‘UF12-73-5’ when grown under normal horticulturalpractices in Gainesville, Fla. ‘UF12-73-5’ has a combination of a novelgrowth habit, late season flowering, excellent heat tolerance, andconsistent mustard yellow foliage color with maroon margins that issignificantly different than other coleus plants. It has superiorstability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions. It has avigorous mounded, spreading growth habit with excellent lateralbranching when grown as a stock plant, providing ample vegetativepropagules for producers. This plant has not been observed to set asignificant number of flowers in any trial to date, and thus it isdesirable for long-season performance in the landscape, as coleus plantsthat set seed usually experience late-season leaf drop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs,which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true ascan be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. Thephotographs were taken from 3-month-old plants grown from cuttings in1-gallon pots during October 2014-January 2015 in greenhouses inGainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1—shows the pedigree of the claimed plant.

FIG. 2—shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the claimed plant.

FIG. 3—shows a close-up of the foliage.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘UF12-73-5’. The detailed description was obtainedusing 3-month-old plants from cuttings growing in a glass greenhouse inGainesville, Fla. in late Fall 2014. The plants were pinched 2 weeksafter cuttings were rooted and then grown in 1-gallon pots forapproximately 9 weeks. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007, 5thEdition.

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.        -   Botanical.—Plectranthus scutellarioides.        -   Common name.—Coleus.        -   Cultivar name.—‘UF12-73-5’.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Spreading.        -   Habit.—Upright.        -   Height (from top of soil).—34 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—62 cm.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristems having at least 1 node.        -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.        -   Root habit.—Fibrous.        -   Root description.—Callus forms in 2 to 3 days, roots            initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in            7-10 days.-   Branches:    -   -   Quantity per plant.—7 main branches per plant with numerous            side branches, pinched once.        -   Branch color.—RHS N79A.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Pubescence.—Not present.        -   Stem description.—Square-shaped stem, 1.5 cm in diameter at            the soil line.        -   Branch diameter.—0.7 cm at the base of a 24-cm-long branch.        -   Branch length.—24 cm.        -   Internode length.—4-6 cm.        -   Anthocyanin.—RHS N79A.-   Leaves:    -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—14-16.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.        -   Shape.—Ovate, consistent.        -   Length.—14-16 cm.        -   Width.—6-8 cm.        -   Apex.—Broadly acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Lobed.        -   Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Smooth upper surface, smooth            lower surface.        -   Pubescence color (both surfaces).—N/A.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface: Mid-vein: RHS 79C; side            veins: RHS 153A. Lower surface: RHS N77B.        -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface:            Reticulate.        -   Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface: RHS 152C. Lower            surface: RHS 184A.        -   Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface: RHS 153A in the center of            the leaf, with RHS 59A margins. Lower surface: RHS 183A.        -   Petiole length.—5-7 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Petiole color.—RHS N79B.-   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date.-   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is    typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior    disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common    insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been    long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on    older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4    months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been    observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops    (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella    occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S.    is downy mildew (Pernonspora lamii), which has been observed in    stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Plectranthus scutellarioidesplant named ‘UF12-73-5’ as described and illustrated herein.